


A Glimpse: Mother Cognitive Dissonance AU

by SpaceVagrant



Category: Cognitive Dissonance - Fandom, MOTHER: Cognitive Dissonance, Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fem Giegue, Fem Niiue, Mother: Cognitive Dissonance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:57:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceVagrant/pseuds/SpaceVagrant
Summary: An AU to Cognitive Dissonance. Giegue takes in a human named John, who as it turns out, is very excited to be in space, seeing new places and meeting aliens.
Relationships: Giegue | Giygas/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

In another time, in another space…

The year is 198X.

(John is a human who was abducted by aliens while stargazing at a cliff near his home in Eagleland. Under the command of a gieeg named Giegue, the aliens abducted a number of Earth’s inhabitants, both human and animal, for the purpose of conducting experiments. After the test subjects had served their purpose, they were offered to be sent back home under the condition that their memories of their experiences onboard the alien’s ship would be wiped. However, John chose to stay on the mothership, citing that he felt that he never truly fit in on Earth, as well as his fascination with everything relating to space as his main reasons for doing so. Intrigued by John, Giegue oversaw further experiments in which John learned how to channel a mysterious power called PSI. Over time, the two had grown fond of one another, and John was eventually promoted from “test subject” to the commander’s “personal bodyguard.” The mothership is currently stationed near Venus.)

John and Giegue lay on the sofa in the commander’s quarters, watching an anime that had been procured from Earth on John’s recommendation.

“This style of animation… I’ve never seen something quite like it.” Giegue commented. “Tell me, has human society become technologically advanced to the point where the development of these “mobile suits” could feasibly be achieved?” she inquired.

“Well, no… or at least if anyone on Earth has been building giant robots, they’ve kept it under wraps. Why do you ask, commander?” John replied.

“I was simply curious.” Giegue answered nonchalantly. “Thank you for sharing this show with me. It’s… nice to be able to unwind like this in my spare time.”

“That reminds me, Giegue. What DO you usually do in your spare time?” John asked.

“Well, sometimes I meditate… other times I read. Nonfiction, usually.” Giegue said sheepishly.

“Sounds like you could use more hobbies, commander.” John teased with a grin on his face. “Are you into festivals at all? I overheard some mooks earlier talking about a “Bowfest ‘8X” that’s being held in a couple of months on Saturn.”

“Saturn months or Earth months?” Giegue asked.

“Uh, Saturn months, I think?” John tried to clarify. “I’m not sure how exciting a festival about bows could be, but it’s worth a try, right?” 

“I don’t have to read your mind to be able to tell that you just want to see Saturn.” Giegue replied with a smile. She found the human’s enthusiasm about seeing other parts of space endearing. “I suppose it is worth a try, as you say. And you should be able to survive Saturn’s atmosphere with the slight modifications that were made to your body…”

John’s eyes widened. “Wait, what about modifications? Ooh, am I going to start growing tentacles? Or a tail? Or get a cool new cyborg body?” he asked excitedly.

Giegue laughed. “Don’t you remember? Some minor changes to your body had to be made so that you could safely channel your PSI.” she reminded John. “I don’t foresee you undergoing any sudden mutations. Although, that does mean that you are technically no longer purely human, if only by a small percentage.”

“Oh, that. Well, that just makes me that much more cool.” John mused. “Say, do they sell extraterrestrial body mods for credits anywhere?” he asked completely seriously.

“Not that I know of. Besides… I think you’re perfect just the way you are.” Giegue responded sincerely.

“Aw, babe…” John’s face flushed red. “I’m nowhere near as perfect as YOU are.” 

“Al-alright. I order you to cease your flattery.” Giegue felt her own cheeks begin to flush. She pulled John into her arms and pulled a blanket over to the sofa with telekinesis. It wasn’t long before John fell asleep in her embrace, and it wasn’t much longer after that when she followed him into slumber.


	2. A Glimpse 2: Cosmic Bugaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John learns that he shouldn't play with fire in general or while on sedatives, lest Giegue give him a stern look and a wag of the finger.

In another time, in another space…

The year is 198X.

-The mothership, one of the sensory deprivation rooms-

“All who oppose the commander will scatter into ashes! Have a taste of my Infernal Beat!” John proclaimed as he nailed a training dummy with a fistful of fire. Where the dummy’s center had been, there was now a smoldering crater at the point of impact. John pumped his fist in jubilation over his victory against his stationary opponent.

“You should be resting right now.” A familiar voice scolded him. John spun around to come face-to-face with his commander. The much taller Giegue glowered down at him, her eyes an incandescent red. John knew she meant business when her eyes were red like that. John opened his mouth to say something and then promptly closed it when Giegue scowled. “I told you not to exert yourself for one week after your neural implant surgery.” Giegue’s voice grew harsh. “It has been two hours.” She grabbed the human by the arm and led him out of the room.

“P-please, forgive me, commander!” John groveled with his head bowed. “It’s the post-surgery drugs! My judgement is all clouded and I lost track of time!” John pleaded.

Giegue’s unrelenting gaze changed into one of concern when she noticed that John’s right hand had sustained quite a nasty burn. “This is precisely why you should not be channeling pyrokinesis right now.” The gieeg’s stiff demeanor softened. “Why don’t you fix yourself up?” 

“But don’t I need to be in the sensory whatchamacallit to be able to use PSI?” John asked.

“That’s what the neural implant is for. Like most humans, you lacked the ability to channel PSI before, and could only awaken to the full potential of your mind in the sensory deprivation rooms. Your neural implant will grant you the abilities of pyrokinesis and guided cellular reconstruction outside of-“ Giegue’s voice trailed off as John stumbled and collapsed. “Are you okay?!” she helped him to his feet.

“I may have overdone it a bit.” John struggled to get the words out.

“Here, lean on me. Come, I will help you channel your cellular reconstruction. Focus…” Giegue instructed. After a brief moment, the human was able to repair the damage that he had done to his hand. John stood in awe for a moment. “Come. Let us return to my quarters. You need rest.” 

A brief moment of silence passed. “Commander, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t listen and I got ahead of myself…” John apologized.

“It is alright. But you must promise me that you will rest.” Giegue reassured him.

“Yeah, I promise.” Another moment of silence passed. “I love you, commander.”

“I love you, too.”

-On a remote part of the ship-

A blonde-haired gieeg sat in her makeshift bunk, watching the exchange between John and Giegue over the ship’s cameras on a tablet. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the human get back onto his feet. She had been against the neural implant surgery, since the tech itself was still in an experimental phase. After Giegue let John wander off on his own as she went to see to other matters, the blonde gieeg nearly had a panic attack as she flipped through the channels, trying to keep track of where John had went. A small smile came across the gieeg’s face as she watched the moment between John and the commander. She hoped that interacting with the human would help Giegue come to the decision to call off the invasion. For John’s sake, and for her own.


	3. A Glimpse 3: All Outta Chapter Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is surprised to learn that on Jupiter, we all float. 
> 
> We ALL float.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's quite a doozy compared to the others. Thank you so much for reading my humble tale!

In another time, in another space…

The year is 198X.

-On a shuttle, inbound for Jupiter-

John couldn’t stop from fidgeting in his seat. He desperately wanted Giegue to clue him in on where they were going, already. She had told him that she would take him along for a mission, and that the location would be a surprise. The commander had deliberately made sure that John had no view of the shuttle’s windows from where he sat. This would be his first time leaving the ship since he arrived. He was the commander’s “personal bodyguard,” but that was just a ceremonial title, almost a sort of pet name that the commander gave him. He had access to much of the mothership, but lacked any real authority. As such, he was both surprised and grateful that he would be allowed on an official mission. The unit consisted of him, Giegue, and a group of starmen led by Deepsea, the starman captain.

“Commander, where are we headed? Shouldn’t I at least get a briefing before the mission?” John reasoned.

“We’re nearly there. Just a few moments more.” Giegue reassured him. 

“Commander, we’ve entered the atmosphere. Initiating landing sequence. *click*” a starman spoke over the shuttle’s intercom. After a bit, the shuttle came to a gradual halt. John eagerly rose from his seat and followed the others to the shuttle’s ramp.

-Jupiter, near the settlement of Anolin-

John stuck close to Giegue as he stepped foot off of the shuttle and onto what appeared to be some sort of plant-like growth. He tested the ground, and after some silent encouragement from Giegue, he approached the edge of the vegetation and peered into the space below them. He was greeted with the sight of a sea of clouds that ranged in color between white, orange, and brown. 

“Jupiter? Commander, is this- are we above Jupiter?!” John asked excitedly. 

“That’s right.” Giegue confirmed. Though Jupiter is a gas giant, the composition of gases in the atmosphere allow the plants here to-“

“OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! Commander, you’re the best!” John interrupted. 

“Please, do try to contain yourself. We are on a mission, after all.” Giegue chided gently. Despite her words, she took great delight in her bodyguard’s excitement. 

“Right, right, right! Forgive me, commander!” John straightened up. “Uh, standing by for further instruction. Please… advise?” 

“The mission objective is to scout the surrounding area to locate a suitable location for a forward operating base. There is a settlement nearby, which suggests that this area may be stable enough to accommodate a large foundation.” Deepsea whirred.

“Normally, this task would not call for my presence. However, I think that this will serve as an opportunity to…” Giegue trailed off as she watched John try and fail to be discreet about taking a small glass jar out of his pocket to scoop up some of the air. “…Really now.” 

“Just taking samples of the air in this area, commander. Better safe than sorry!” John tried to brush it off. 

“Of course. It is imperative to take every geographical aspect of the surrounding area into consideration when determining where to construct a base. Good work, soldier.” Deepsea commended John.

“…Yes, as you were.” Giegue sighed.

-Anolin, outskirts-

John had some difficulty keeping up as the unit navigated the fauna of Jupiter and made their way towards Anolin. He felt much heavier here than he did on the ship, which was to be expected; Jupiter had the strongest surface gravity among the planets in the solar system. Giegue patiently stayed with him as he moved from surface to surface, pretending not to notice whenever he struggled, while still keeping an eye on him.

“Commander, we have arrived at the township of Anolin. Scans indicate the presence of natives. Threat level: zero. *click*” Deepsea advised.

“Did he say natives?” John gasped in jubilation. “Commander, can I meet the natives?” he asked in a whisper.

“We are not here to treat with the local species. And I doubt that they will be eager to receive us. Fobbies, and the subspecies, Foppies, are known to be quite timid in nature.” Giegue explained.

“Wait… we’re not gonna hurt them, are we?” John stopped for a moment.

“We will not engage unless provoked. In the event of a conflict, you will stay close to me. Understood?” Giegue answered.

“O-of course. Yeah, I won’t let any harm come to you, commander!” John’s voice shook as he spoke. Something about the situation seemed off to him. Was this really just a scouting mission?

As the company stepped into Anolin proper, John marveled at the surroundings. The locals lived in buildings that were quite similar in construction to typical human shelters. He spotted a small, orange, spherical figure, almost sort of like a balloon with feet, peering at them from the doorway of a building. John smiled and gave a tiny wave to the creature, who gave him an inquisitive look for a moment longer before another one of their kind shooed them inside of the house.

“Commander, we have secured this area. Shall we construct a base nearby?” Deepsea queried.

“Yes, this spot is suitable. Captain, you and your men are to hold this area.” Giegue instructed. She turned over to John. “Come. Let us return to the ship.”

-The mothership, commander’s quarters-

John didn’t realize how exhausted he had been from the expedition onto Jupiter until he flopped onto the sofa. Giegue had said that she had some sensitive business to attend to, which meant that she would probably be gone for a little while still. After a brief respite, John decided that the least he could do would be to tidy up their space a little. As he was about to dust the room, a tone alerted him to a message for him on the personal tablet that he had been given. 

>N: heya!

John paused for a moment. He didn’t know many people on the ship personally, besides Giegue. He didn’t even know how anyone could have gotten his contact info. Maybe it was someone from IT, or a wrong address? He sent a response.

>AlienSmoocher8X: Hello?

He had forgotten what he had set his username to.

>N: hahaha nice name dweeb

John fumbled for a moment with his user settings and scrambled to change his display name to anything else. He settled on a new username and typed out a measured reply.

>pyr0maniac: Let’s just start from the top. Who is this?

>N: name’s N, good to meetcha!

John doubted that his pen pal’s name was N.

>pyr0maniac: That’s not a starman name. Is that a mook name? 

>N: maybe

>N: I wanted to talk to the first known human to set foot on Jupiter, congrats! lots of us are curious about you

>pyr0maniac: Who, the crew?

>N: yeah

>pyr0maniac: Well, it’s always good to meet new people. Is there anything you want to know?

>N: yeah, gimme a sec

>N: so what’s Earth like?

>pyr0maniac: It’s really lame. I don’t much care for it.

>N: oh…

>pyr0maniac: Well, Earth as a planet is fine, I guess. I just didn’t get along all that great with the other humans.

>N: really? but you’re such a cool dude!

>N: I mean you seem like a cool dude, we just met for the first time of course

>pyr0maniac: Do I know you?

>N: nope! I’m just a maintenance tech around here. so you didn’t fit in with the other humans?

>pyr0maniac: I grew up in a small town. Didn’t fit in with most of the social groups. I was mostly known as that weird guy with the space obsession. I had a few really close friends, but they all picked up and left for the big city, and I wasn’t able to come.

>pyr0maniac: That was a lot, sorry…

>N: no no don’t worry. you must have been so lonely, no wonder you wanted to leave

>N: there was something else I wanted to ask you. has the commander seemed different lately?

>pyr0maniac: Now that you mention it, she has been coming back from meetings and things like that seeming really stressed out lately. I haven’t asked her what’s going on, since I figure if she wanted to talk about it, she would tell me. 

>N: yeah…

John hesitated for a moment.

>pyr0maniac: Alright, now I have questions. Who are you?

>N: a friend

>N: it’d be more fun if it was a secret, don’t you think?

>pyr0maniac: Well, you’re definitely not one of the starmen. 

>N: you don’t know that

>N: *whirr*

>pyr0maniac: I’m pretty sure you’re an organic. Am I right? *click*

>N: ya got me

>N: hey I gotta get back to work so I’ll catch you later, don’t tell the commander about this okay? I don’t want to get reprimanded for slacking off

>pyr0maniac: Sure, it’ll be our little secret. It was nice meeting you, N.

>N: aww likewise

-Later that night…-

John sat up in bed staring out the window and listening to the quiet hum of the ship, trying to coax himself to sleep. It had gotten pretty late, but he was unable to stop worrying about Giegue. She was good at wearing a guise of stoicism, but John had been picking up on small changes that tipped him off to the fact that something was wrong, such as how restless she had gotten in her sleep.

Almost as if on queue, the door to the commander’s quarters opened and Giegue stepped in. John turned and smiled, but quickly noticed that the area around her eyes was puffy.

“Giegue, is everything alright?” John stood up and walked over to her, reaching out. Giegue said nothing and pulled herself into John’s arms.

“I am fine.” she finally spoke after a while. “Sorry to worry you.”

She seemed far from fine to John, but he didn’t want to come across as too intrusive. She looked exhausted.

“Hey, tomorrow’s a new day. Let’s call it a night, yeah?” John tried to soothe her.

“Yes, let’s.”


	4. Chapter 4: The Very Serious Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy

In another time, in another space…

The year is 198X.

-One of the ship’s unused cargo bays-

The blonde-haired gieeg tossed and turned in her makeshift bunk in the corner of the cargo bay. She had spent the past couple of hours sprucing the place up to try and make it feel more like a living space, but she hadn’t made very much headway due to feeling uneasy. She didn’t have much to take her mind off of the situation with Giegue, aside from the occasional cyber chat with either the commander herself or John, who were the only two people that the gieeg had made any contact with. She was being kept a secret from the crew until she and Giegue could figure out how to explain her sudden presence onboard the ship. In the meantime, they had been discussing the mystery behind how and why the gieeg had come into existence, as well as the orders that the commander had received from her superiors: to proceed with a full-scale invasion of Earth, and to exterminate the human population. The two of them had often argued about the decision before them. Neither of them wanted to proceed with the invasion, but the gieeg was having a great deal of trouble in trying to convince the commander to defect. Those conversations were stressful, and the gieeg much preferred her chats with John, in which he told her about what Earth was like. She enjoyed learning about the planet and its inhabitants, despite John’s less than favorable regard of his time on Earth. 

She was startled by a sudden tone from her personal tablet. Her heart sank as she read the message that flashed onto the screen. The commander had come to a decision and wanted to meet with her to talk.

-Later that day-

The gieeg had been pacing for quite some time, burdened with stress and anxiety. She had a feeling that Giegue might have come to a decision that she would regret. The period spent waiting for Giegue to arrive was almost unbearable.

“Niiue. I have returned.” Niiue looked up from the cargo bay’s floor to see a very distraught and tired-looking Giegue. How long had the commander been standing there?

“Sorry about the mess.” Niiue offered a halfhearted apology for all of the clutter in the room. Giegue did not immediately answer. She looked as if she were choosing her next words very carefully. This told Niiue all that she needed to know.

“I have decided… that we shall proceed with the Earth invasion.” Giegue finally spoke the words that Niiue had dreaded to hear.

“No. No! Giegue, we both know that you don’t want to go through with this!” Niiue protested, her tail bristling.

“I do not expect you to… participate. I will shoulder the burden myself.” Giegue answered. 

“What about John? What do you intend to do with him?!” Niiue hissed. 

Giegue’s ears flattened. “We… that is to say, I will not let any harm come to John. Of that, I assure you.”

“And just how are you going to keep him safe? What’ll you even tell him? You think he won’t notice a planet-scale war?” Niiue drew closer to Giegue. 

“I have taken those factors into consideration.” Giegue replied in a measured tone. “Hiding him would prove futile, as the crew already knows of him. However, I believe I’ve found a way to fulfill our orders while keeping him safe.” Giegue waited for what felt like an eternity before speaking. “If he were no longer human, then…”

Niiue’s eyes widened. “You’re going to what, convert him into a starman? Dump him into the body of a mook? Make him a chimera…?”

Giegue hesitated for a moment. “Don’t you recall? He has expressed time and time again a desire to be something other than human. I think that he will be excited. As for keeping him happy… I will simply keep him from learning of the full extent of the Earth invasion. If need be, I can always rewrite his memories…” 

Another moment passed. “I refuse to support this.” Niiue spoke firmly.

Giegue’s eyes narrowed. “I do not require your support. Try to intervene, and I will find some way to deal with you. This conversation is over.”

Niiue could only clench her hands as Giegue left her to be alone with her thoughts again.

-Later, near the ship’s bridge-

The halls of the ship were eerily devoid of any other crew members as John made his way alone to the bridge. He had been called by Giegue to meet her there to discuss something important. The lack of activity around him was unusual, but he chose not to question it. He was proud that he had earned enough trust to be let in on important matters, and he had every intention of returning that level of trust in full.

For the first time, the doors to the bridge opened themselves before John without him needing someone else to escort him. He stepped out into the room, which was as empty as the surrounding halls. The commander was nowhere to be seen. John’s heart sank in his chest as he looked out the windows and was greeted with the sight of Earth. Simply looking at the planet that he had finally been able to leave behind filled him with a sense of dread.

“They were not kind to you, were they?” Giegue’s voice startled John. He turned to see her walking into the room, the doors closing behind her. 

“Wh-what do you mean?” John’s voice quivered. He could already tell that Giegue was acting unusual. Had he done something wrong?

“The other humans. They were not kind to you, were they?” Giegue repeated. Her eyes bore into John’s, but her voice was gentle.

John had an unpleasant flashback to his time on Earth. He remembered being picked on and ostracized for his unusual habits by the people in his hometown. He remembered feeling devastated when the few friends that he had all decided to move to the big city and leave him behind. He remembered looking up at the stars on that cliff near his house and feeling so... trapped. A shiver ran down his spine before he answered. “They weren’t.”

Giegue came much closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “You were all alone… before I found you.” 

“…Yes.” John had a hard time keeping his composure. The commander was never this affectionate with him outside of their quarters. In fact, she hardly ever touched him where they could be seen by the crew.

“Who does your loyalty belong to?” Giegue asked him.

“It belongs to you, commander. And only you.” John replied, keeping her gaze. He found it impossible to look away from her eyes.

Giegue smiled reassuringly. “Good. Then I suppose it is time to brief you on our next mission. We are waging a war… against Earth.” 

“Wa-wait… you mean like, against all of the humans?” John’s heart was racing. He did not have the most positive opinion of humankind, to be sure, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“No. Only the… bad ones. All of the corrupt leaders, their governments, the warmongers… we are going to be liberating them from tyranny.” Giegue lied. She caressed John’s face. “And you will be by my side.”

John felt a heavy relief. “Of course. I will stay by your side, commander. Always.”

Giegue slowly brought John’s face to hers for a kiss. “I know that you will. Come, there is much work to be done.”


	5. Obligatory Mushy Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Giegue share a tender moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Inadvertent self-harm
> 
> This is just a mini-chapter that I wrote to get myself back into telling this story. I'm hoping to get back into updating this more frequently- I just needed a bit of a mental health break from everything. Times have been very tough lately, for all of us. Thank you for reading, and please, stay safe.

In another time, in another space…

The year is 198X.

-Somewhere-

Darkness. A quiet humming. Floating, weightlessly. A terrible, burning pain that could be felt in both arms. These are the sensations that John felt as he was regaining consciousness. As he came to, there was a brief sense of panic as he struggled to make sense of where he was. The last thing he remembered doing was honing his pyrokinesis in the sensory deprivation chambers. As John was trying to make sense of what had happened, the pain in his arms rapidly began to fade. Strange waves of light washed over him, and as his vision focused, he could see that he was inside of a revitalization chamber. A few moments passed, and the machine came to a halt. The front of the chamber opened up and John’s held his hands out in front of his face as his eyes were assaulted by a bright light.

“Take it slowly. Do not strain yourself. How are you feeling?” John looked up from the chamber to see Giegue, her eyes full of concern.

“What happened? Where are we?” John asked.

“It seems that you may have lost control over your pyrokinesis. Can you stand?” Giegue reached down and helped John out of the chamber. “It could be that your neural implant became overloaded. Though how, I am not certain… you should not have been able to place such a heavy strain on it.”

“… I didn’t break anything, did I?” John asked.

“Do not worry about the equipment. It can be replaced.” Giegue’s ears lowered. “You, however, cannot be replaced. Please, have more care when channeling your PSI. That was… frightening.”

“Commander… I just…” John’s voice trailed off. “If I’m this weak… how can I keep you safe during the war?”

“John…” Giegue was taken aback. Was that why he had been pushing himself so hard lately? She had told John many times that his title as her bodyguard was merely something to justify his presence among the crew. If he was ever in danger, he was supposed to stick close to her so that -she- could protect -him-. “We’ve had this conversation before.”

“I know. I’m just- I worry about you. Giegue… remember what you said before? About how I was all alone before you found me? You were right.”

Giegue felt a sharp pang of guilt.

“My friends- they left me behind. I really was trapped on that planet before you took me in. You rescued me. In fact…” John stopped for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes.

“In fact…?” Giegue repeated.

“Never mind. Giegue, if anything were to ever happen to you…” John was interrupted as Giegue took him into her arms and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. 

“I won’t leave you alone again. I promise. Now, let’s get you back to our quarters. You need rest.”


End file.
